UNIVERSITY OF GONDAR
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering
Course name: Digital Logic Design
Course code: ECEg3141
Course instructor: Mebtu.F
CHAPTER Three : K- map
KARNAUGH MAP METHOD
• A Karnaugh map (K-map) is similar to a truth table because it
presents all of the possible values of input variable and the resulting
output for each value.
• Instead of being organized into columns and rows like a truth table,
the k map is an array of cells in which each cell represents a binary
value of the input variable.
• Simply, Karnaugh map (K map) is a graphical tool used to
simplify a logic equation or to convert a truth table to its
corresponding logic circuit in a simple, orderly process.
• Although a K map can be used for problems involving any
number of input variables, its practical usefulness is limited to five
or six variables.
• The following discussion will be limited to problems with up to four
inputs because even five- and six-input problems are too involved
and are best done by a computer program.
Karnaugh Map Format
• The K map, like a truth table, is a means for showing the
relationship between logic inputs and the desired output.
• The number of cells in a K map is equal to the total number of
possible input variable combinations as the number of rows in a
truth table.
• For three variable, the number of cell is 23=8, for four variable, the
number of cell is 24=16.
• The K map develop by the following criteria:
1. The truth table gives the value of output X for each combination of
input values. The K map gives the same information in a different
format. Each case in the truth table corresponds to a square(cell)in
the K map.
2. The K-map squares are labeled so that horizontally adjacent
squares differ only in one variable.
CONT…
• Similarly, vertically adjacent squares differ only in one variable.
Note that each square in the top row is considered to be adjacent
to a corresponding square in the bottom row.
Similarly, squares in the leftmost column are adjacent to
corresponding squares in the rightmost column.
3. In order for vertically and horizontally adjacent squares to differ in
only one variable, the top-to-bottom labeling must be done in the
order shown: 𝐴𝐵 ,𝐴𝐵, 𝐴𝐵, 𝐴𝐵 . The same is true of the left-to-right
labeling: 𝐶𝐷 , 𝐶 𝐷, 𝐶𝐷, 𝐶𝐷.
4. Once a K map has been filled with 0s and 1s, the sum-of-products
expression for the output X can be obtained by ORing together
those squares that contain a 1.
Cell Adjacency
• The cells in a K map are arranged so that there is only a single
variable change between two adjacent cells. Adjacency is defined by
a single variable change. In the three variable map the 010 cell is
adjacent to the 000 cell, the 011 cell, and the 110 cell.
Physically, each cell is adjacent to the cells that are immediately
next to it on any of its four sides.
A cell is not adjacent to the cells that diagonally touch any of its
corners.
The cells in the top row are adjacent to the corresponding cells in
the bottom row and the cells in the outer left column are adjacent
to the corresponding cells in the outer right column and called
wrap around adjacency.
Cells that are differ by one variable are adjacent, where as cells
that are differ more than one variable are not adjacent.
Looping
• The expression for output X can be simplified by properly
combining those squares in the K map that contain 1s. The process
for combining these 1s is called looping.
Looping Groups of Two (Pairs):
• Looping a pair of adjacent 1s in a K map eliminates the
variable that appears in complemented and uncomplemented
form.
• Figure a shows vertical adjacency
• Figure b shows horizontal adjacency
• Figure c shows the top row and bottom row of squares are
considered to be adjacent.
• The two 1s in the top row are horizontally adjacent. The two 1s in
the bottom row are also adjacent because, in a K map, the leftmost
column and the rightmost column of squares are considered to be
adjacent.
CONT…
FIGURE: Examples of looping pairs of adjacent 1s
CONT…
Looping Groups of Four (Quads):
• A K map may contain a group of four 1s that are adjacent to each
other. This group is called a quad.
• Looping a quad of adjacent 1s eliminates the two variables that
appear in both complemented and uncomplemented form.
• Figure (a), the four 1s are vertically adjacent, and in Figure (b), they
are horizontally adjacent.
• The K map in Figure (c) contains four 1s in a square, and they are
considered adjacent to each other.
• The four 1s in Figure (d) and (e), are also adjacent, the top and
bottom rows are considered to be adjacent to each other, as are the
leftmost and rightmost columns
CONT…
• FIGURE: Examples of looping groups of four 1s (quads)
CONT…
Looping Groups of Eight (Octets):
• A group of eight 1s that are adjacent to one another is called an
octet.
• When an octet is looped in a four-variable map, three of the four
variables are eliminated because only one variable remains
unchanged.
• Looping an octet of adjacent 1s eliminates the three variables
that appear in both complemented and uncomplemented form.
• Figure (a) horizontally adjacent eight 1s, (b) eight 1s vertically
adjacent, (c) eight 1s in the top and bottom rows are adjacent and
(d) left and right columns are adjacent.
CONT…
• FIGURE: Examples of looping groups of eight 1s (octets).
Complete Simplification Process
• “When a variable appears in both complemented and
uncomplemented form within a loop, that variable is eliminated
from the expression. Variables that are the same for all squares of
the loop must appear in the final expression”.
• It should be clear that a larger loop of 1s eliminates more variables.
• a loop of two eliminates one variable, a loop of four eliminates two
variables, and a loop of eight eliminates three.
• The steps below are followed in using the K-map method for
simplifying a Boolean expression:
Step1: Construct the K map and place 1s in those squares
corresponding to the 1s in the truth table. Place 0s in the other squares.
Step2: Examine the map for adjacent 1s and loop those 1s that are not
adjacent to any other 1s. These are called isolated 1s.
CONT…
Step3: Next, look for those 1s that are adjacent to only one other 1.
Loop any pair containing such a 1.
Step4: Loop any octet even if it contains some 1s that have already
been looped.
Step5: Loop any quad that contains one or more 1s that have not
already been looped, making sure to use the minimum number of
loops.
Step6: Loop any pairs necessary to include any 1s that have not yet
been looped, making sure to use the minimum number of loops.
Step7: Form the OR sum of all the terms generated by each loop.
Example 1: Use a K map to simplify 𝑦 = 𝐶 (𝐴𝐵 𝐷+D) +A𝐵 C+𝐷
Don’t-Care Conditions
• Some logic circuits can be designed so that there are certain input
conditions for which there are no specified output levels, usually
because these input conditions will never occur.
• In other words, there will be certain combinations of input levels
where we “don’t care” whether the output is HIGH or LOW.
• In K-map don’t-care condition is represented by X.
• Don’t care conditions should be changed to 0 or 1 to produce K-map
looping that yields the simplest expression.
• A circuit designer is free to make the output for any don’t-care
condition either a 0 or a 1 to produce the simplest output expression.
CONT…
• Here the output z is not specified as either 0 or 1 for the conditions
A, B, C =1, 0, 0 and A, B, C= 0, 1, 1. Instead, an x is shown for
these conditions.
•
Design procedures of combinational
logic circuit using algebraic method
STEP1: Identify input and output variables from the
condition or statement
STEP 2 :Set up the truth table based on the number of input
and output variables.
STEP3: identify the output as 1 and 0 based on the condition
STEP 4 :Write the AND term for each case where the output
is a 1
STEP 5:Write the SOP expression for the output
STEP 6 :Simplify the output expression
STEP 7:Implement the circuit for the final expression
• Group ……..
1) Figure below shows four switches that are part of the control
circuitry in a copy machine. The switches are at various points along
the path of the copy paper as the paper passes through the machine.
Each switch is normally open, and as the paper passes over a switch,
the switch closes. It is impossible for switches SW1 and SW4 to be
closed at the same time. Design the logic circuit to produce a HIGH
output whenever two or more switches are closed at the same time.
Use K mapping to simplify the logic circuit.
2) Simplify the Boolean function F together with the don't care
conditions d in (i) sum of products and (ii) product of sums.
F(w, x, y, z) = ∑(0, 1,2,3,7,8,10)
d(w, x, y, z) = ∑(5, 6, 11, 15)
3) Design a logic circuit that has three inputs, A, B and C whose
output will be high only when a majority of the inputs are high.
